Applications that encourage people to use their cell phones to help make buying decisions while in stores offer a lot of untapped potential, according to a report form ForeSee. Those who already are using their phones for that purpose are 6% more likely to buy something.

Urban Outfitters will continue investing in the Web, which holds a lot of promise for retailers, an executive with the company said at an NRF panel. The retailer's plans include blogs to encourage customer loyalty and solicit feedback.

Despite the pressures of the retail industry, the NRF BIG Show was a bustling event that focused on e-commerce as one of the areas retailers should continue investing in. Scott Silverman elaborates in this blog post.